Ties Can Break
by Jess.91
Summary: Sequel to Ties That Bind. While Prue and her sons are still learning to fit into their family, the she and her sisters are kidnapped...leaving twelve kids to try to work together to save their parents and save themselves.
1. How It Should Be

Well People, I'm back. Been a little while since my last story ended, and I actually started writing this almost striagth after, but got side-tracked with starting other stories, and the best of it is I don't know if any of them will get a place here on fanfiction. I'm rolling my eyes at myself right now btw.

Anyway, here is the sequel to Ties That Bind, and, well I guess I'll stop the pointless ramblings now.

Ties Can Break

Summary: Sequel to Ties That Bind. While Prue and her sons are still learning to fit into their family, the she and her sisters are kidnapped...leaving twelve kids to try to work together to save their parents and save themselves.

Chapter 1 - How It Should Be

"It's just...weird, I guess." Piper shrugged. "You come back - effectivly from the dead - and move striaght out."

"Not straight out. I've been here for, like, two months." Prue replied.

"Six weeks." Phoebe corrected.

"I can't believe you managed to get a place already." Paige added. "A nice place as well."

"A little help from the Elders didn't hurt." Prue smiled.

"Yeah, they are really sucking up now." Piper said, the hint of a smile on her face.

"They don't have much of a choice, after what they did." Paige replied.

"Yup." Prue nodded. "And Andy helped out the cause a little, telling them the boys needed there own space to try and find themselves properly."

"Umm-hmm. So, have they said anything about you two -"

"Piper, don't go there." Prue replied. "We're not going to push them, not yet anyway."

"Oh, but Prue -" Phoebe whined.

"No. Shh." Prue replied jokingly.

The four sisters walked out of the kitchen, where they had been stood talking, and own the hall. Prue's heart sank as she saw Preston sat in the parlor, watching the TV in the living room through the open door.

"Honey, why aren't you with the others?" Piper asked carefully. The other Halliwell kids had managed to quash themselves into the sofas and armchairs, even Parker and Perry. Six weeks had made them almost as close to their cousins as the others were. But Preston...

They didn't trust him, and all the sisters, even Prue could understand that. But none of them seemed to making an effort. While Parker and Perry had worked to prove themselves to the family, Preston kept his distance. And it was breaking his mothers heart.

"I don't wanna." Preston replied, but his eyes travelled over his cousins and brother, and Phoebe saw the longing in his eyes.

"Sure you do." She said brightly. "Just make them all shift over, and -"

"I don't want to." Preston interrupted, without looking away from the screen.

"OK." Phoebe murmured.

"Preston." Prue said warningly.

"What?" He snapped.

"Don't talk to your aunt like that." Prue replied.

"Stop it. Stop trying to make me into some polite little boy." Preston sanapped, getting to his feet and turning to face Prue. "A couple of months ago you wouldn't have cared what I said or how I said it, and now you're trying to make me into something I'm not."

"I'm trying to make you realise you're really a kid, a human kid, and not some bloodthirsty demon."

"But I am a demon!" Preston cried.

"Half-demon. And it doesn't mean you can talk to people like that." Prue said. It was the same kind of arguement that had been repeated over and over, that she was sick of.

"Maybe I don't want to be half-demon. Maybe I liked it better when I was just a demon."

"Tough. That's just tough. You're not a demon, live with it!" Preston lowered his eyes, the anger fading from his face.

"But that's all I know how to be." He murmured.

"I know." Prue sighed. "I know, I'm sorry." She held out her arms to hug him, but he turned and walked away. A second later the front door closed, and she turned back to her sisters. "What do I do?"

"Leave him for a while. Give him some space. His whole world has changed, and he doesn't know how to fix it." Paige said quietly. "Kids I used to meet at social services...there were loads just like him, angry, confused, lost."

"Could you...I mean...if you don't want to..." Prue stammered.

"I'll talk to him." Paige said. "Don't know if it'll be any help, but I'll give it a go. And Prue...try not to worry too much. Some of those kids had been through more than you or Preston - or even I at the time - could ever imagine. And they pulled through it."

"Thanks." Prue smiled, and the youngest sister walked from the room. A few seconds later they heard the door close softly.

"So, you two are getting on well." Phoebe smiled, and the three of them automatically stepped away from the kids in order to keep their conversation from them.

"Me and Paige? She's a great person. We could have done a lot worse." Prue said.

"Yeah, we could have." Piper nodded.

"You guys are close to her." Prue smiled.

"You will be too, soon." Phoebe said. Prue nodded, but the doubt was obvious.

"Prue, when we first met Paige, we had just lost you, and I couldn't imagine ever loving her like I love you and Pheebs. But before I knew it... it was really like I'd known her forever. You'll get there."

Prue nodded, and looked back over at the kids. Her boys were sat on different sofas...a few short weeks ago they were clinging to each other at times like this, scared to let go of each other, scared to talk to the others. But now they were fine, and she just had to hope that a few more weeks down the line, so would Preston.

----

"Hey." Paige said as she closed the front door behind her. Preston was sat on the top step, and didn't turn. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"It's not my step. Sit all you want." Preston replied with a shrug. Paige sat down next to him, and waited a few second in case he had something to say. When he didn't speak, she started to talk.

"It's gotta be weird for you." She said. "A bunch of strangers claiming to be your family, expecting you to be something that you...just aren't."

"Yeah." He murmured.

"It was weird for me, too." She continued. "I spent my whole life as an only child, and then when my parents died, I got used to being alone. Well... it took a long time to ajust to that. A long to time and a hell of a lot of vodka. But I got used to that, that then all of a sudden, there were these people who just claimed to be my sisters. It's confusing, and sometimes it made me feel even more alone than I had before. Plus, at the same time I found out that not only were magic and demons real, but I was a witch. I felt like they expected me to be just like your mum, who I'd never met...but from what I'd heard about her, she seemed like this perfect witch, perfect sister."

"She's not perfect." Preston said.

"You have it worse than I did, though. You got used to this whole way of life, and then it all changed, you lost your dad, and your mum and brothers just changed...and they expected you to do the same. But you can't just change like that. And I only had two people to get used to, learn to live with. You have to walk into a huge ready-made family."

"They don't trust me." Preston said. "Whenever I'm in the same room as them, they keep looking at me, like they expect to see fireballs heading for them or something. I get why...but they wont even give me a chance."

"I think...maybe we should have a talk with them, get them to make more of an effort. But you'll have to make an effort too."

"I know. I don't fit in. I'm not a part of them."

"You will be. I know that now, it seems like you'll never be a part of them, fit into this bond they have...but then you wont even realise it, and it'll have happened."

"I don't think -"

"It will. Hey, kid, I lived through it. I know your situation is worse, but it's the same kind of thing. Tell you what, if in a month you don't feel any better, any closer, you can sling a few fireballs my way, K?"

"Promise?" For the first time, Preston looked at her, and he was grinning.

"Promise." She smiled. "We good?"

"Yeah." Paige started to stand, and when he didn't she decided to leave him a little longer. She was almost at the door when he spoke.

"Paige? Uh, aunt Paige?"

"Paige is fine if it makes you more comfortable." She replied.

"OK. Uh, you're situation was worse." He said, slightly awkward.

"It was?"

"Yeah. You didn't know any of them, or anything about magic. I have my mum and brothers, and I already know about magic, and how to control my powers."

"You know what, kid? I think maybe they were both as bad as each other." Paige said.

"Maybe." Preston replied. He stayed sat on the step, and listened to her wait a few seconds before leaving him there. He didn't know if she was right, about him fitting in with them, but he figured he could try.


	2. And So It Begins

Chapter 2 - And So It Begins...

"Thanks, Paige." Prue smiled. From her spot on the stairs she could see Preston perched awkwardly on the arm of one of the sofas. OK, so he was next to Parker, and he did look like he was battling hard to stop himself getting up and running away, and he hadn't actually spoken to any of his cousins, but he was in the same room as them. It was a start.

"Welcome." Paige replied. "He's a great kid, Prue. He just needs to get used to everything."

"He is a great kid. Despite everything, I haven't screwed him up too bad." Prue nodded.

"It's not your fault, what happened." Phoebe remarked.

"I know. But...he's my son...and he's only thirteen...and he's having withdrawal symptoms from not killing people." Prue smiled bitterly as she spoke.

"Withdrawal symptoms?" Phoebe half-laughed. "Come on, Prue, a few nightmares doesn't mean withdrawal symptoms."

"I know." Prue nodded, as the memory of her eldest son throwing himself about his bed, writhing in agony and screaming entered her mind.

"Did it happen again last night?" Piper asked.

"Yes." Prue sighed. "First night in a new place, I guess I should have expected it. I thought maybe he was getting over it...I know he only went three nights without the nightmares, but I hoped..."

"We all did." Piper murmured.

Prue nodded, and looked over at her son. Almost every night since he'd been living at the manor, he'd been having nightmares...she didn't know exactly what happened in them, he would only ever say it was about "before". But she would be woken by his screaming, find his tossing and turning violently, shaking and sweating, and all she could do was hold him until he woke up. For the three nights before they'd moved out, he'd slept peacfully, and since he'd only ever gone two nights in row like that before, she'd got all hopefull...and last night it had been almost a full hour before he'd woken.

And she still didn't know what was happening in his dreams.

----

Preston wasn't very comforatble sat on the edge of the arm like that, but he refused to move, even though little Henry kept looking over at him. He wasn't wanted there, he could sense it, but he refused to move. Even if all he wanted to do was run away.

Run. He couldn't run. He'd never run, from anything. Once, when he was younger, nine, ten maybe, he'd been out with his mum when a bunch of demons shimmered into the cave they were in. His mum was yelling at him to go home, to leave, but he didn't. He stayed and fought, and even though they both got a little beat up, they killed all the other demons. He didn't know how many of them there were exactly, but there had been lots of them, and he was scared. More scared than he was now, and he didn't run then, and he wouldn't run now.

In his dreams, he couldn't run, either. In his dreams, he killed, but it wasn't demons. In his dreams he was laughing as he killed people...just like his dad used to...

He didn't even know what the show was, that they were watching. The others were launghing every now and then, but he didn't understand why.

The loud bang that echoed through the house, however, stopped everyone laughing.

"Mum?" Phoenix cried.

"Wait here!" Chris cried, as he and Wyatt sprang to their feet. Preston wasn't far behind them, however, and three boys ran out in time to see a demon jump over the banister and onto the floor, where all four Halliwell sisters lay. Prue was the first to start to sit up, and also the clostest to the demon. As Piper started to sit up, Preston watched, almost as though in slow motion, as the demon grabbed Prue's long dark hair, pulled her head up, and sank the small, sharp knife into her upper arm.

"Mum!" He cried, as the demon pulled the knife back out. Crying out in pain, Prue paled as she saw the blood begin to run down her arm.

Seconds later, before any of them could do anything, the demon had vanished...and so had Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Paige...

----

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Coop asked, almost ten minutes later. Once the shock of seeing their mother and aunts disappear, Wyatt and Chris had quickly gotten everyone to the attic and began calling their fathers and uncles. Coop had teleported as soon as his daughters had gotten through to him, and Prudence had broken the news. By the window, Lydia was on her phone, getting the same reaction from her own father, as was Melinda.

"Gone. He just took them." Prudence nodded.

"He shimmered out and so did they." Chris added.

"They shimmered? He turned them?"

"What? No." Chris sighed. "Aunt Paige and Aunt Phoebe were still laid on the floor, I don't know if they were knocked out, and mum was starting to sit up...and aunt Prue..." Chris glanced over to the book, where Sydney was flicking through the pages, watched by a scared looking Perry. Parker and Preston were looking over the potion stocks, both looking pale and scared. Preston especially...Chris didn't really trust the guy, but he felt sorry for him right then. He had, after all, watched his mother get stabbed, and for all any of them knew, she could be bleeding to death right then.

"He stabbed her. Prue." Chris said finally.

"Stabbed her?" Coop asked. "Great. Where?"

"Upper arm, small combat blade, all the way to the handle. Removed straight after. Then he shimmered, still had hold off Prue's hair, and the others shimmered at the same time, like when a demon's touching you. Only he wasn't."

"Good report. You're mother would be proud." Coop smiled.

"She always says reporting the facts saves time." Chris nodded. "So what do we do?"

"There isn't much I can do, Chris." Coop sighed. "I'm not a demon hunter, I'm a cupid."

"And Henry and dad are mortal...so what, we have to do this alone?"

"Yup. That's pretty much it."

"Great. just great." Chris sighed.


	3. No Help, Thanks

Chapter 3 - No Help, Thanks

"Prue, keep talking honey." Piper said softly. The demon had left the four of them in the dark, in what they assumed was a part of the underworld. With their hands tied together behind their backs, they could hardly move.

"Pheebs, how much longer are you gonna take?" Prue asked, the pain in her voice evident.

"Prue, this demon tied the damn things magically. It's gunna take a while." Phoebe was frantically untiing the ropes that bound Paige's hands, in the hope that she would be able to heal Prue.

"Piper, just try to blow them up." Paige said.

"I can't move my hands properly. If I miss..."

"Then I go boom." Paige finished with a sigh. "That was one power that didn't actually need to get stronger."

"Yeah. And none of the kids even fall for the "tidy your room or I blow you up" thing anymore." Piper replied. "So it doesn't help much."

"If Coop could hear us, he could get us out of here." Phoebe sighed.

"If I can't orb, I'm guessing he can't do his little thing either." Paige replied. "You don't think the demon went back for the kids, do you?" She finally voiced the fear on all of their minds, and each sister felt the dread deepen.

"The kids can protect themselves pretty good." Piper said finally.

"Yeah. They're strong, and smart and I'm sure they'll be fine. One little demon..." Prue murmured.

"One little demon who got the four of us down here, plus injury." Phoebe murmured.

"Well, aren't you a little ray of sunshine." Prue replied.

----

"We have to at least try." Wyatt cried.

"I never said not to." Leo replied calmly. "I'm just pointing out that it's unlikely the elders are going to help you."

"Why wouldn't they?" Little Henry asked. "They might die. And aunt Prue got stabbed." Henry said, in the serious, calm way only small children can.

"Because you guys have powers for a reason. One day, you'll have to fight evil just like your mum and aunts do." Coop explained. "And you can't rely on the elders all the time then, can you?"

"But we're just kids now." Phoenix said. "The can't really expect us to go demon hunting."

"Just call them down." Melinda said. "We'll find out one way or the other, so lets make it sooner rather than later."

"Linnie's right." Chris nodded. "So how many of us will it take?"

"Aunt Paige does it on her own." Wyatt said.

"And she's a full whitelighter." Chris replied. "Me and you aren't."

"The two of you should be able to do it, though." Leo said. "Hold hands - just grow up and do it - and close your eyes, and just...want one of them to come down here."

A few seconds later, a cloud of white lights appeared, soon to clear away and reveal a miserable looking grey-haired man.

"What?" He sighed.

"We need your help -" Wyatt began, but the elder interrupted him instantly.

"We can't do that." The Elder replied. "We know what's happened, but this isn't our problem."

"Not your problem?" Paris cried. "How can it not be your problem?"

"Do you think everytime your mother had a something to do she called for us?" The elder asked.

"No, because they know that you guys will just screw it up." Linnie cried. "We don't need your help anyway, we're Halliwells and we're charmed we can do it ourselves, while you sit up there on your clouds, we'll be doing the real work."

"She's right. Just go." Lydia snapped.

"I'm sorry -"

"Yeah, you look it." Chris muttered.

"Just leave." Sydney said. Obediantly, the elder orbed out.

Grinning, Wyatt slung his arm over his little sister's shoulders. "Mum would have been proud of that little speech."

"Really proud." Leo agreed. "She couldn't have said it better herself."

"So, what's the plan?" Prudence asked. "Anyone...?"

-----

"Are you still bleeding?" Piper asked nervously.

"Yes." Prue replied tightly.

"Pheebs, any luck?" Piper asked again.

"It's kinda hard to untie someone with your own hands tied." Phoebe snapped. "I'm getting there."

"Get there faster." Prue said through gritted teeth. "Please..."


	4. Plans and Nightmares

Chapter 4 - Plans and Nightmares

"So, that was effective." Prudence sighed as she slammed the book shut.

"It was painful." Chris replied, pressing the towel harder to his bleeding hand.

"You offered to do it." Lydia pointed out.

"And offered Wyatt and me." Linnie added, looking at her the cut on her own hand with dismay.

"You could have said no." Chris replied.

"I did." Linnie replied. "But Wyatt seemed to think it was a brilliant idea."

"We needed a power of three, and Chris and I are the oldest."

"And I don't count?" She snapped.

"Look, that spell didn't work, it hurt, but we need to move on and find another one, OK?" Sydney said loudly.

"We've used all the ones in the book." Phoenix said.

"Maybe we need more power behind them." Chris said slowly. "Maybe our separate powers of three aren't enough."

"Why wouldn't they be?" Paris asked.

"Because you're all so young." Wyatt replied.

"So are you." Phoenix cried.

"So we might not have enough power." Chris continued.

"So what, you want all nine of us to say the spells together?" Wyatt asked.

"Twelve." Parker corrected coldly.

"Huh?"

"Twelve. Me, Perry and Preston are Charmed too, we can help." Parker said, glaring at Wyatt, his blue eyes cold, in the way only his mother could do.

"Do you guys count?" Lydia asked carefully. "I mean you were evil for years, and you haven't ever used any power of three stuff."

"That doesn't mean we don't count." Perry replied. "We can try."

"They don't trust us." Preston said simply.

"Of course they do -" Leo began, but Sydney cut him off.

"No, we don't. And can you blame us? It's not just the fact that until a six weeks ago we didn't know you existed, but when we did, it was 'cause you were trying to kill us."

"How are we supposed to trust you after that?" Paris agreed.

"You're just strangers to us." Prudence nodded. "Strangers who tried to kill us."

"Maybe we are, but that's our mum who's out there, and ours is the only one who's bleeding." Preston snapped. "You can't stop us helping get her back."

"And for your information," Parker snapped. "We're having a hard time trusting you lot, too. It goes against everything we've ever known - but we're actually trying."

"You don't trust us?! Well -"

"Lydia, stop it." Linnie interrupted. "This isn't about trust, it's about survival. And getting our parents back. We don't have to trust each other, we don't have to get along, but we have to work together. It's the only way."

"For someone so small, she talks a lot of sense." Chris said.

"Fine. Truce. Whatever." Lydia muttered.

"Good. So what are we trying first?" Linnie asked.

----

Several spells later, and no luck, the Halliwell children were generally disheartened. Henry and Phoenix had both fallen asleep on aunt Pearl's indestructible sofa, and the others seemed to be going the same way.

Sat in a wooden chair by the small circular table, Preston had thought he wouldn't be able to fall asleep. Flicking through one of the old the old books from the shelf, he leaned back, fighting to keep his eyes open. After a few more seconds though, his eyes closed, and he drifted off to an uncomfortable sleep.

_It was dark, almost too dark to see, but he was used to darkness. Having spent most of his life creeping around the underworld, he had learnt how to recognise the slightest movement, to hear the quietest sound. He heard a sound now, and turned around, almost smiling. It felt like it had been so long since he had killed, and he missed the smell of blood, the frantic gasping of the last breath, the sound of a body hitting the ground, the sight of death. _

_He raised his hand, the small jagged dagger comforting his hand. Aim. Aim and timing were the most important things in murder. _

_He never used to thing of it as murder, just as a way of life. He knew, now, that it was wrong, wrong to take life, and wrong to want to take life, but right now, he didn't care. It was close, his target. He could sense them, and his pulse quickened as he moved his arm slightly to the left, following his instincts._

_It happened quickly from there. All the best kills did. His prey moved forward, close enough for him to make out the faint outline, and he threw the dagger. He saw it fly through the air, somehow able to see the blade glint, even in the darkness. He heard the gasp of pain and shock and the sound of the dagger hitting it's target. His heard quickened breathing, and the body fall to the floor, just like he'd longed to. He could smell the blood, and it made him dizzy with giddiness. Then, all around him, the old wooden torches that adorned the walls burst into flames, and he could see. He smiled, knowing he would get to see life slip away, instead of just hearing the quickened breathing become more and more shallow until it stopped._

_But then he saw the dark long hair, and even though it was hiding the face of the woman, bent forward in her sitting position, he knew who it was._

_"Mum!" He gasped, and was down beside her in a second. "Mum...?" Prue slowly raised her head, her face white, her eyes wide. Her breath was shallow and quick, struggling to gather in the oxygen as the blood poured from her heart, soaking into her clothes, pooling on the floor. "No, no, no." Preston gasped. "No, I didn't do it, I didn't...I..."_

_Prue fell suddenly backwards, her breathing more and more struggled. Preston tried to raise her into a sitting position, as though it would help somehow, but her body was heavy, and he couldn't do anything. He couldn't stop it. He had cause this, he had done this, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The dead weight he was struggling to lift was the proof that she was slipping away, all because of him._

_Dead weight. Dead. _

_He knew it was her last breath even before it was drawn. The desperate gasping sound told him she wasn't getting the air she needed, and he heard it catch in her throat. Then her eyes rolled back, and she was gone._

_"NO!" _

"Preston. Preston. Preston, wake up. Preston!" Someone was hitting his face, but he couldn't respond. She was dead, dead and it was his fault. Dead.

"NO!" He cried again, but he opened his eyes, involuntarily. When he saw their faces looking at him, with fear and curiosity, he realised he had been dreaming. It was just a dream. A nightmare.

"Are you OK?" Parker asked him, obviously trying to act as though the others weren't there. Preston hadn't admitted to anyone what was in his dreams, not even his mum, even though she was the one who often held him until he calmed down. But this time the words came out before he could even think them, never mind stop them.

"I killed her, I killed her, I didn't mean to but I killed her." He gasped. "It was dark and I didn't see who it was but I didn't care I just threw the knife and I killed her, I killed her."

"Preston, calm down." Parker said quickly. "Calm down, breathe."

"She couldn't breathe. She was dying and I couldn't do anything it was all my fault I killed her!"

"Preston." Parker said sternly.

"I watched her last breath die, I saw the blood, so much blood, too much blood, I killed her, I killed her." He didn't register the way everyone was looking at each other, he didn't care. "They can't stop it, I'm still evil, I don't want to be evil anymore but I can't stop it, I have to kill. I killed her. I'm evil." He could hardly breathe himself now, air ripping at his throat like knifes, his eyes wild and frantic.

"Preston, you didn't kill anyone. You were asleep, you were dreaming. You didn't kill anyone."

Preston didn't say anything, as he slowly calmed down, slowly realised he was back, back to reality. And he jumped to his feet, ran from the room.


	5. Eating Away Inside

Chapter 5 - Eating Away Inside

"I've done it!" Phoebe cried, and held up the untied rope, even though no one could really see it in the darkness. Paige moved quickly, despite her arms aching. She held her hands over Prue's still bleeding arm, and...

She closed her eyes, hoping that would help, and when it didn't, she willed it to work.

"Come on." She murmured to herself, flexed her fingers and tried again. But it didn't work. "I...I can't..." She murmured. "It won't work..."

"Oh my god." Phoebe murmured slowly.

"I'm sorry." Paige whispered.

"It's not your fault." Prue said quietly. "The demon...must have blocked out powers..."

"Prue, hang in there, OK?" Piper said carefully. "Try not to panic."

"I don't have the energy to panic." Prue replied. "How are we going to get out of this one? I'm a little rusty on the demon-fighting stuff, but don't we usually have a plan right about now?" She was talking slowly, and as though every syllable was an effort.

"Ah..." Piper trailed off, unable to think of anything to say.

"I guess you guys are a little rusty too." Prue replied. She was leaning all her weight on the wall behind her, but still felt as though she was putting a lot of effort into sitting up.

"I guess we are." Phoebe agreed. "I guess until we think of anything...we've gotta just rely on the kids..."

"A bunch of half-pint witches...I fell saved already." Prue sighed.

"Hey, you, stop talking." Piper said, in a mock-stern voice. "You're just depressing everyone."

"Sorry, sis." Prue replied.

"I want to walk." Paige said finally. "See if there's any way out of here."

"I don't think he'd of left us alone if there was." Phoebe pointed out.

"Maybe he thought we wouldn't try. Or...or leave Prue." Paige replied. "But if you guys stay with her, then she'll be OK."

"You're not going alone." Piper said flatly.

"I'll be fine. I'm a big girl now, I don't need someone to hold my hand." Paige replied sweetly, and under laying tone of annoyance in her voice. Braced against the wall, Paige struggled to stand up, but finally made it to her feet.

"I'm coming with you." Piper said, and she too struggled to her feet. "Phoebe can stay with Prue, right?"

"Piper, I -"

"Don't have a choice." Piper finished. "Let's go." Walking slowly, as their legs were stiff from sitting for so long, they followed the rocky wall downwards.

"Are you OK?" Piper asked quietly when they had covered some distance and she hoped her other sister's wouldn't be able to hear.

"My legs are a bit sore, but yeah." Paige replied.

"You know that's not what I meant." Piper sighed. "And don't roll you're eyes at me."

"Seriously, how do you do that?" Paige asked. "Not only is it pitch black, but I have my back to you."

"It's a gift. Answer the question."

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Paige replied, a little too breezy.

"Paige."

"Fine. I. Am a whitelighter. And I couldn't heal my own sister. I heal charges all the time, and...she's back there dying and it's my fault."

"You didn't stick a knife in her arm." Piper said. "It's not your fault."

"I should've been able to -"

"Our power's don't work here." Piper replied. "There's nothing you can do about that."

"I...I just don't like feeling powerless, that's all."

"I know, honey. I know."

----

"So, how you feeling?" Phoebe asked brightly.

"Like I was stabbed in the arm." Prue replied.

"Hmm...Right." Phoebe said. "Um...So, what's going on between you and Andy, then? He hasn't been at the house as often as I thought he would be?"

"He's trying to be careful. The elders -"

"Should have let you have him, instead of an apartment."

"I don't think their generosity goes that far." Prue replied. "I don't know, things are a little...awkward between us. It's been so long since we saw each other...I don't know. And I have the boys to think off. Their whitelighter...Andy and I always had a temperamental relationship."

"Yeah...but the fun ones always are." Phoebe smirked.

"Yeah, when you're in your twenties, sure. But now I have the boys, and they've already been through enough." Prue said quietly. "If it happens, great, if it doesn't, I'll get over it."

"I think it will." Phoebe smiled.

"Yeah, if I live that long." Prue winced. She meant it as a joke, but Phoebe frowned.

"Prue..."

----

"Preston?" Parker walked slowly down the attic stairs, trying to figure out what his brother had meant by his crazed ramblings. Obviously, he had had another nightmare...Parker thought Preston didn't know he knew about the nightmares, but he heard the screaming, and he would lay in the dark listening, sometimes, to his mum trying to comfort him.

But no one except Preston ever knew what went on in those dreams...except this time...

He found him sat at the top of the main stairs, his breathing still irregular and his eyes flicking around.

"Preston?" Parker said carefully. "You OK?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Fine." Preston muttered.

"Um...you gonna come back upstairs?"

"No." Preston shook his head.

"Uh...Why?"

"They're right Parker. I can't be trusted." He still sounded breathless.

"Of course you can." Parker replied. "We can be trusted. Mum says we're just still fitting in."

"I can't ever fit in here." Preston said, shaking his head and gulping in air. "I'm evil, Parker. I'm different to you and Perry, I'm evil."

"How could you be more evil than us? We're all half-demon -"

"I've killed more than you two. That's the only explanation I can think of." Preston said, his voice now fast and uneven. "You're not truly evil 'till you've made your first kill, and it makes sense that the more you make the more evil you are, doesn't it?"

"No. That's ridiculous." Parker said, shaking his head. "Look at mum. She killed loads too."

"She was good before. She was under a spell. We never were. And you guys are young and mostly you went with dad and helped a little bit, right? By the end I was going on my own, choosing my own innocent and killing them. I can't get away from this Parker. I can't do it, it's inside of me, the evil. There's nothing I can do about it." His voice had quietened to barely a hiss by the end of his speech, and Parker was generally scared.

"Preston, listen to me. We need to get mum back. And then, after that, we'll see what we can do, OK?"

"I killed her." Preston shuddered. "Oh, I killed her."

"No you didn't. I was a dream. A nightmare. She's still out there, still alive and we need to get her back. Now get up, and come back upstairs." Parker said firmly, a hint of anger in his voice. The tactic worked, and Preston stood up and meekly followed Parker. From behind, he couldn't see the fear on his brother's face.


	6. Your Life, Their Hands

Chapter 6 - Your Life, Their Hands

"That he killed her?" Andy repeated. Leo nodded.

"That's all we could really get out of..." Henry trailed off as Parker and Preston walked into the room.

"Hi, guys." Andy said. "Sorry I wasn't here before, I didn't know..."

"It's OK." Preston muttered. "Can you find her?"

"No..she's not my charge...and it's most likely that they're in the underworld. I can't sense down there from up here anyway." Andy said quietly. "How you holding up?" He asked even quieter.

"We're just great." Preston muttered sarcastically. He knew Andy was just trying to help, like he always did, but he didn't care. He'd heard his mum and aunts talking, knew all about the past. Sure, he knew Andy had saved his mum's life, and he was grateful. But that didn't mean he wanted the guy as a dad.

"Stupid question. You'd think I'd be better with questions, me being a cop and all." Andy smiled. "Well, before."

"Do you know how we can get mum back? And the others?" Perry asked. Like both of his brothers, he had been cold with Andy too, but now he looked up at him hopefully.

"No, I don't..." Andy said, but Preston caught the look on his face. It was a look that was all too familiar, although, granted, from a different face.

_Ricker shook his head for the thousandth time. "I don't know any more targets." He said._

_"You're lying." Preston said. "I can tell."_

_Ricker threw a glance a Prue, cursing the strange sixth sense he was sure her side had given their boys._

_"Am not." Ricker snapped._

_"Ricker?" Prue said quietly. "Are you?"_

_"No! I don't know of any witches that need to be taken down."_

_"Dad!" Perry cried. "You're such a liar!"_

_"Is that anyway to talk to your father?!" Ricker snapped_

"You're lying." Preston said lightly, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"What? No, I'm not." Andy had a half-laugh to his voice, one that was extremly fake.

"For an ex-cop, you're a bad liar too." Parker said.

"Andy, just tell us." Preston said, rolling his eyes.

"Fine. How do you guys to that, anyway?"

"It's a gift." Preston smirked.

"It's freaky, isn't it?" Henry said. "They can all do it, it's really unnearving."

"You're telling me." Andy sighed. "Look, it's just a stupid idea, and it wouldn't work, and you're mother would kill me if you did it."

"So? What is it?"

"Stupid." Andy replied. "Prue would kill me -"

"Andy, half the stuff we do here is based on stupid ideas." Wyatt said. "If it'll help, we'll try it."

"Prue -"

"Will kill you. We heard the first time. You're already dead, love." Linnie replied. "She can't do that much danage."

"OK. _OK._ I just thought - for a minute before I came to my senses - well, that Louian guy." Andy said. While most of the people in the room looked confused, Prue's boys looked at each other. "I thought he might be able to find something out..."

"Would he help us? With us being, um, good now?" Perry asked.

"Nothing to lose by asking." Preston said. "It's brilliant. He almost cared about mum, it's a good bet."

"But what if he decides a fireball to your head is a better bet?" Andy asked.

"Please. I've been ablw to take Louian on since I was about ten. He's one of the meanest - and loyal - demons down there, but he's not that good with the fighting." Preston said

"He's right." Parker nodded. "Beats me how he's stayed alive all these years."

"So we find him, ask for his help." Preston said. "It's a great idea. Really, Andy, trust me, he wouldn't hurt us. He's known us since we were little, and he owes mum his life...a few times over...he promised her that if anything happened to her he'd look after us."

"Demon's don't usually hold to promises." Leo pointed out.

"Yeah, but Louian was scared of dad, and a little of mum, a sorta of us too." Perry said. "At least let us try."

"Summon him." Henry said. "Don't go to him. Summon him here."

"He might not like that." Preston siad. "Let me go to him. Just me and him -"

"No way." Andy said. "No chance."

"I can take care of myself."

"No, you can't." Chris said. "I'm coming too."

"And me." Wyatt said.

"You stay here." Chris said, shaking his head. "Someone needs to protect these guys in case he comes back."

"You can't go alone with him." Prudence said. Chris looked at Preston, saw the flash of hurt and anger in his eyes.

"I can." He replied, and caught the surprise on Preston's face.

"Chris -" Lydia started.

"Look, this is the only way to get them back. Nothing else has worked and this is our only plan." Chris said. "We can't send him out there alone, OK? I'm going. I'll be fine."

"But -" Wyatt began.

"He'll be fine." Little Henry said suddenly. "Mum and aunt Piper nad Phoebe trust him. If they can...we have to try, right?"

"Right." Linnie nodded. "Half-demon or not."

"I don't expect you to trust me." Preston said flatly. "I've given you no reason to."

"But I expect you to give him a chance to prove himself." Coop said, one eyebrow raised. "How else can he earn that trust?"

"You hurt him, I hurt you." Wyatt said coolly.

"Hey -" Parker began, but Preston nodded.

"Deal." He said, the hint of a smile on his face. WYatt almost smiled back.

"Be careful." Sydney said.

"Both of you." Lydia said, somewhat reluctantly. Trust or not, they all knew they were sending two of their own into the underworld, not just one.

"Aren't we always." Chris grinned, and then turned to Preston. "Do you have to sense him or...?"

"I know where he'll be. Uh..." Preston hesitated, then grabbed Chris's arm. "Ready?"

"Yup." A second later, they were gone.

"He better come back alive." Wyatt muttered.

"They both better." Parker said sharply.

"All of you, stop it." Leo said loudly and calmly. When all of them turned to face him, he shook his head. "I'm disappointed with you all. I know this is hard to get used to, but it's hard for these boys too. Forget about trust for a minute, and think about family. If your mothers could hear you now, do you think they'd be proud? You are all flesh and blood, whether you like it or not, and one thing we've always tried to install in you lot is that family - this family especially - sticks together, looks out for each other. You guys have gotten pretty close to Pakrer and Perry over the last few weeks, haven't you? So why not Preston?"

"He wanted to stay evil. Prue had to force him." Lydia said. "And that was after he almost killed her. While trying to kill our mum. If he hadn't have hit Prue, he'd have killed mum, and aunt Piper and Phoebe and all us guys."

"And he feels guilty about that." Henry said. "You heard him earlier - he'd obviously dreamt he'd killed Prue. And you lot aren't helping that guilt. Everyone makes mistakes."

"And Preston had good and evil inside him." Coop said. "Evil was all he'd ever known, and don't you think he'd have been scared to change?"

"Cole was half-demon." Prudence said quietly. "He went through the same as Preston...and in the end he was evil."

"That's what's making it so hard?" Leo sighed. "OK. I guess we should have thought of that. But you guys have only heard the stories...I was there, and I know he tried to fight it all the way, just like Preston is. The difference is, Cole had been evil for a couple hundred years, and he beat it, until the source took him over. Without the evil, Cole had a part of himself missing, and the source filled that, took him over. That isn't going to happen to Preston. Preston has been evil for thirteen years, and he has his family - it would be nice if you guys tried to support him too."

"And what if the evil wins?" Paris asked.

"It won't, if you help him fight it all the way." Leo said.

"We don't have any choice but to trust him right now. It's our lives in their hands." Lydia said.


	7. To Prove, To Trust, To Succeed

Chapter 7 - To Prove, To Trust, To Succeed

They had barely reformed in the underworld when a fireball flew towards them. Sailing past Preston's shoulder, it had him swearing loudly and pushing Chris to the floor, barly a second before a second fireball flew threw the air where Chris's head had been.

"What the hell?" Chris muttered.

"Louian it's me!" Preston yelled. "You idiot stop it!"

"Preston?" A voice called out.

"Yes!" Preston yelled. He struggled back to his feet, and absently helped Chris up.

"What you doing down here, kid?" Louian asked. "I figured you got killed."

"What?"

"You went after the Charmed Ones, didn't you?"

"Well, nice to see you were so bothered by my death." Preston replied. "I need a favour."

"What kind of favour?" Louian asked suspisiously.

"A demon took mum."

"What? How?"

"She doesn't have powers any more. He stabbed her, then took her somewhere. Can't find her, and...well, she could be dying right now. I need you to find out what you can."

"Sure, sure, Preston. You know I'd do anything for your mum...Give me half-hour, OK? Wait here." He shimmered out, his eyes darting about in a panic.

"The guy looks like a rat." Chris remakred.

"Yeah." Preston nodded. He said down the on the floor, leaning back against the rocky wall. "I guess all we can do now if wait."

"Yeah, I guess." Chris sat down too. "So...you think you'd have been able to kill us then? You know, when you attacked?"

"I don't think so. At the time I thought I could..." He half-laughed at himself. "Stupid, but Ricker had somehow convinced us all we were the best demon's out there, we could kill anyone, anything. And when he'd got us to go after you, he'd convinced us we could kill you all. Maybe he thought we could." Preston shurgged. "I was just so...mad. I was alone, Ricker was dead, my mum and brothers had done something I...I didn't even know could happen. And I just...wanted them back. I thought if I could kill you guys, everything would go back to how it was before. Stupid."

"It's not stupid. I guess it makes sense." Chris shrugged. "Do you...ah...do you still want things to be like before?"

"I...It would be easier if it was. A lot easier. But...being a demon...I guess I'm getting used to clean clothes." He shrugged. "I don't want it to be like that. But I don't like...I don't like walking into a room and everyone looking at me as though I'm holding a gun. I don't like looking at the little kids and seeing how scared they are of me, or the way you lot look at me. But, no, I don't wish it was like before. I...I have these dreams. And it's like before, I'm killing people, and I don't want to do it. But I can't...I can't stop myself from being evil, can I?"

"You can. If you really don't want to be, you can. The dreams...you're having them because you don't think you can change. I mean, I think that's why. I don't know."

"I get why you don't trust me. I don't trust myself." Preston sighed. "But when I attacked you...I was like a different person. And that's what scares me. I'm different now..."

"I, uh, I get that. What it's like to know you've been different, before. Only, not before. For me, I mean." Chris stammered.

"What?"

"I...see, about a year before I was born, this guy came back from the future, to stop Wyatt from going evil. He was gonna turn into this evil ruler, and this future guy was there to stop him turning evil in the first place, to save the future. And...it turned out to be me."

"You? How?"

"I'd come back from the future to save him. Save myself, my family. And I did it, I changed it. Only, it wasn't me. It was a different me, and that me doesn't exist anymore...But I have dreams. Flashes of his life. My other life. It's weird, and I...sometimes, when I wake up, I'm confused about where I am, who I am. Because he's a part of me, dad says, and he always will be. But he...he went through some stuff. Bad stuff, and it made him different to me. So, I, um, I know how confusing it is."

"I guess you do." Preston nodded. "How do you cope with it?"

"By knowing that I'm not that person. Not completly. You can't change your past, what you've done. But you can stop yourself from becoming that same person." Chris said. "And, by the way? Thanks for pushing me away from that fireball back there."

"Wh...Oh. Your welcome."

"You saved my life. You didn't have to do it, and maybe it was only 'cos they'd kill you if you went back without me, but..."

"I wasn't gonna let you die, was I?" Preston replied. "Whether they'd kill me or not."

"Yeah...And...Well, I guess I do trust you. I don't know...I just trust you..."

"I know where she is." The voice made them both jump, and both looked up to see Louian completing his shimmer. Both stood up. "The demon who took her, he put them in a cave where they're powers wont work. He was going to leave them for a while, kill the kids then them, but another demon got to him. They're still where he left them."

"Where is tha-" Chris began, but Preston put his arm out, silencing him. He fixed Louian with a challengig stare.

"You didn't say he had the others too." Louian said, his tone angry.

"You didn't ask." Preston said as his suspisons were confirmed. As soon as he had heard Louian say "them" he knew. And he knew what would come next.

"So you joined them?" Louian sounded surprised, almost scared. "You? After everything you said?I thought you'd just heard that she was gone, but...you...good?"

"Yeah. Surpirsed me, too, trust me." Preston replied lightly, and Chris listened with interest. Just a few seconds ago, Preston had sounded scared, vulnerable, young. Now, he sounded casual, confident, adult. Practice had taught him how to handle demons - or at least this demon - well.

"So, you, what, kill demons now?"

"I...I haven't had to do that. Demon's don't go after them much anymore. Not stupid as you used to be, I guess." Preston shrugged.

"Stupid? Is that how you see us now?"

"I always did mate." Preston replied. "So, where are they?"

"You're going to save them?" Louian asked, half-digusted half-surprised.

"Course we are. You think we're just going to let them rot away?"

"We?" Louian looked at Chris. "I wondered who he was. I thought you'd just got...a killing buddy."

"And you wonder that I think you're stupid?"

"So he's one of them?" Louian snapped.

"I'm his cousin, yeah." Chris said, deciding to contribute the conversation.

"Fit right in there didn't you." Louian spat. "With the witches."

"Actually, no, I didn't." Preston said. "They're as trusting as demons. As in, not very, Louian. Don't think too hard, it'll hurt your head."

"He's getting there though." Chris said, and Preston almost smiled. But he kept his face straight and looked into Louian's eyes.

"I'm getting bored now. Where are they?"

"You're going to save the Charmed Ones. Damn it, this is perfect. Let them die in there, go after the kids in a little while, when they're weakened by grief. Every demon is planning it, and you want me to help you save them?"

"I think that's generally the idea, yes." Preston replied.

"Pres, you know I don't want your mum to get hurt. She was always good to me, when others would have killed me to spare the hassle. But she's not that same anymore, she's a witch now, and I can't _save_ her."

"Their plans wont work anyway. These kids are stronger than you give them the credit for, and they won't be beaten." Preston replied.

"Killing your own, saving the ememy...what happened to you? Your dad would be so disgusted -"

"He's not my dad!" His calm slipped, ever so slightly, and his anger showed. "He's not my dad, just some demon who kidnapped mum made her something she wasn't and messed me and my brothers up. This is all his fault and I don't care what he'd think about it! Don't call him my dad _ever _again. He's not."

"OK. OK." Louian said nervously. "Just understand me, right? I can't help you savbe the damn Charmed Ones. I'll be killed as soon as word gets out."

"Yeah, but if you don't tell us you'll be killed right now." Chris snapped.

"Pres, just kill the kid and come with me." Louian said. "This isn't you, you're not _good_ you're a demon -"

"No, I'm not. I'm not a demon." Preston said. "I'm half demon and if I want to be good then I can. And guess what, I do. I'm not going to kill him."

"Why?"

"Because family sticks together." Chris said mildly, and Preston looked at him. Chris offered a small smile, then looked back at Louian. "Tell us where they are, or I kill you." He raised his arm, and and eyebrow. "What'll it be?"

"What's he doing?" Louian said, talking directly to Preston as the panic showed on his face.

"Well, at a guess, I'm betting he's getting ready to send one of those static bolts your way. And the best thing is, Louian, I'm pretty sure one of those would kill you."

"OK. OK." Louian muttered. "I never thought I see the day..."

Something to do with their mixed genes had left all of the Prue's sons with some kind of strange sixth sense. While the other Charmed kids were telepathic, although only when they were in the same room, Prue's boys hadn't developed that power. However, Preston's sixth sense kicked in now, and he managed to pull Chris to the floor - again - just before the fireball headed their way.

"Louian you moron!" Preston cried as Chris swore loudly. "What the hell are you playing at?!"

"I can't let you do this, Pres. I'm sorry." His hand was shaking as it formed another fireball. Grabbing Chris' arm, Preston shimmered, and the too of them appeared behind the demon.

"Go. Orb home. Now." Preston hissed. Louian was looking at the spot they'd been, too slow to realise what had happened.

"No."

"This is my fault, my demon, my fight."

"Family sticks together." Chris replied. He fired a static bolt in Louian's direction, and it grazed his arm.

The demon turned round quickly.

"Tell us where they are." Chris demanded, his voice cold and hard. "Don't make me kill you."

"You're just a kid." Louian sneered, but the fear was there. "You can't do that."

"I've done it before." Chris replied. "And I will do it again. Talk fast, or die."

"Can't you just leave it?" Louian snapped. "Why did you come to me for help anyway? Why me?"

"I thought I could trust you." Preston sneered. "I guess I was wrong."

"You can't trust demons." Louian replied. "You should have learnt that by now."

"I know." Preston shrugged. "Now, tell us where they are, or my cousin here will send one of those nice electric things through your chest."

----

"I hope they're OK." Linnie said worridly. "This is taking too long."

"Louian wouldn't hurt them." Parker said doubtfully. "I mean, mum would kill him if he did..."

"But how would she find out? If he just killed them?" Lydia asked. "They'd still be trapped there, and..." She stopped herself just before she said that Prue might be dying. It was a situation they'd all been in at some point, knowing a parent was close to death. And she didn't want to remind them of it.

"I don't know. Damn it I should have gone with them." Parker muttered. "Between us, we could have got him to help. Damn it."

"I hate this." Prudence snapped. "I hate having to sit around and do nothing. We're supposed to be witches, supposed to be powerful, but we can't do something this simple."

----

Back in the underworld, Preston had Louian up against a wall by his throat, careful to leave a place clear where Chris could send a static bolt into the demon.

"Louian, I'm getting bored of all this messing about. Tell me, _now._"

"I can't do it. I'm sorry." He said, pleadingly, and Preston sighed.

"OK. That's fine. I'm sorry too. Chris?"

Nodding, Chris concentrated, and the static stream was just emerging from his palm when Louian spoke again.

"OK, OK stop I'll tell you!" He cried.

"That's more like it." Chris said brightly. "Go on."

"It can only be accessed by other demons, by shimmers, or blinking. Your _good _magic won't be able to do anything."

"Just tell us where." Preston said. "I can do the shimmering, remember?"

And he told them. Preston looked him straight in the eye, asked him once if he was lying. And he knew he wasn't.

"Let's go." Preston said to Chris, and, with Preston's hands still at Louian's throat, Chris grabbed the back of his cousin's shirt.

"1...2...3!" As Chris started orbinhg, Preston let go of Louian, and by the tim ethe demon had conjured the fireball Preston knew he'd been planning to send at them, the two of them were back in the attic.

"You're alive!" Linnie cried.

"Last time I checked, yeah." Chris said. "Only, if it weren't for Preston, I don't think I would be." He added quickly.

"What?" Sydney raised her eyebrow.

"Twice." Chris nodded. "And if that doesn't mean we can trust him, I don't know what does."


	8. A Wholoe New Set Of Views

Chapter 8 - A Wholoe New Set Of Views

"Piper." Phoebe's voice was desperate as she heard her sister's making their way back to them. "Paige."

"There's no way out. We just hit a dead end." Piper said.

"Piper, Piper, I don't know how much longer she can hold on." Phoebe said tearfully, anad barely a second later her other sisters were crouched on the floor next to her.

"No, don't say that. Prue!" Piper gasped.

"It wont stop bleeding, Pipe." Prue whispered. "I'm gonna die."

"No, your not. I lost you once and I wont lose you again." Piper replied. "We'll be OK, very, very soon, we'll be OK."

"No, we wont." Prue murmured. "Look after the boys, OK?"

"You're not going to die!" Piper yelled.

"Promise me, Piper." Prue said, her voice hard. "Promise me."

"I promise." Piper whispered, her voice faultering.

"No." Paige murmured. "You can't die..."

"Sorry, lil sis." Prue whispered. "One thing I should have been able to tell you, lots of years ago, is that life sucks."

"I figured it out on my own." Paige nodded. "I'm so sorry."

"For...?" Prue trailed off, laid her head back against the wall. She forced her eyes to stay open, just a little bit longer. She knew she was going to die, but she wasn't ready for it, and she would fight it for aas long as she could.

"I'm a damn whitelighter and I can't save you." Paige whispered, tears glistening in her eyes, unseen in the darkness.

"Not...your fault." Prue whispered.

"Piper said that too." Paige choked. "But it is, it is."

"Not." Prue muttered. "Paige, hug?" She mumbled. It was hard to think straight, and she wasn't sure if her words had come out right, but the next second, Paige had moved closer and wrapped her arms around Prue. Forcing her own arms up, Prue tried to hug her back, but only managed to rest her arms on Paige's back. She was slipping away, and there waas nothing anyone could do to stop it.

-----

"Are you OK?" Parker asked Preston quietly.

"Yeah. We know where they are." Preston nodded. While Chris quickly explained what they knew, Parker moved closeer to Preston.

"Still think you're evil?" He asked nervously.

"I don't know." Preston replied. "I jsut don't know...I don't feel evil anymore. And...Louian said something that actually helped."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Right before he tried to kill us." Preston nodded, and smirked as his brother's eyes widened. "He said I wasn't good, i was a demon, and I told him I could be good if I want, and that I do. And I meant it. I don't want to be a demon anymore. I want to do this." Preston said.

"I knew you'd figure it out eventually." Parker said. "It...it wasn't easy for me, either. Sometimes, I think about what it was like to kill, and I almsot miss it. But we have more now. We...When I had to watch Phoebe, before we knew who they were, I saw the way she was with the girls, and it was like something was missing. Now we have that."

"It's not easy. Changing everything we knew." Preston sighed, shook his head. "A few hours ago I was certain I'm evil and there's no way to stop it, hating these people...and now, I know that I don't want to be evil. I saw Louian, the way he was scared of other demons, and the way he felt the only way to fix his problem was to kill it, and I don't want to end up like that. I...I actually want to be good, and I guess I sort of believe I can be..."

"And you don't hate these people anymore." Chris finished. Looking up, Preston realised everyone had stopped talking and were listening to him.

"That, remains to be seen." Preston smiled, then he realised what he'd said. A joke? Really? Him?

He never _joked _ever. Maybe a sarcastic comment here and there...but those were designed to hurt, not to make people smile. But Chris grinned.

"Are we going, then?" Wyatt asked, observing his brother and cousin with interest.

"Yeah, sure." Preston nodded. "How are we going to...?"

"Hold hands in a circle." Leo said, and got the usual grumblings.

"For the last time, holding hands is not _gay_." He sighed.

"We didn't say that." Linnie protested.

"Yeah, not anytime in the last couple of years anywhere." Wyatt grinned.

"Just get into the circle." Leo said, and the kids obed.

"You lot aren't coming." Linnie said, as the male-parents stepped forward.

"You aren't going alone." Henry said.

"We're not alone, we're together." Lydia said.

"You still can't -" Coop began.

"Dad, there's no way you guys are coming. You've got no way to protect yourselves if a demon does come." Paris said. "We'll be OK." Before anymore protests could be heard, the twelve of them had disappared with one shimmer.

"They better be." Henry muttered to himself.

----

They shimmered into the cave, and for a moment just stood still, not knowing where to go in the darkness. But then a shaky voice called out "Who's there?" And they all turned to the sound.

"Mum, it's us!" Linnie cried, and moved forward to the sound. Wyatt grabbed the back of her sweater.

"Careful." He murmured. Together, the group moved forward, and Piper threw her arms around Linnie, crying silently.

"How did you get here?" She asked.

"Shimmer. Can only shimmer in. Come on, we can get you home -"

"Mum?" His eyes used to dark caves and caverns, Preston had seen her. Still in Paige's arms, he saw the unmistakably look on her face. The look of death slwoly creeping over her.

"Mum!" Parker cried, and the three brothers ran forward.

"Shimmer them up, quickly!" Phoebe cried suddenly. "Paige and Prue- Paige can heal her -" Without a hesitation, Preston grabbed both his mother and aunt and shimmered them above ground.

"Is she going to die?" Perry asked, his eyes wide and scared.

"I think we were in time, it's OK." Wyatt said softly.

"Let's go home." Phoebe said, wiping the tears from her face.


	9. Trust

Been a while, I think, but my internet refused to stay connected for more than five seconds. Literally. It had a personal vendetta against me. I don't know what I did to make it hate me, but it hates me so, so much.

Anyways, on with the chapter.

Chapter 9 - Trust

Paige was already trying to heal before they were back in the attic, and the golden glow appeared almost instantly. Prue fell backwards, now having lost consiousness, and Paige leaned over her, sobbing as she tried to heal. Sat on the floor where he had slumped the second he'd let go of them, Preston watched, terrifed.

Slowly, the gaping wound began to close over, and, as the rest of their family shimmered in around them, it closed completly. Prue's eyelashes fluttered a few times before she opened her eyes, and blinked.

"Am I dead?" She asked.

"No, not this time." Paige said, laughing from sheer relief. Getting to her feet, Paige pulled Prue up with her and found herself pulled into a real hug.

"Thanks." Prue murmured. She had barely realsed Paige when she was hugged by all three of her boys, who refused to let go for several minutes. She clung to them, knowing how close she had been to losing her life, losing them.

"The demon -?" Piper said suddenly, and Chris shook his head.

"Dead. Someone killed him."

"How did you find us?" Prue asked, but she knew. A part of her knew.

"Louian." Preston said. "Chris and I went to find him, he found out, then tried to kill us."

"What?" Her anger was obvious as Prue drew back from them. "He did what? I'm going to kill him?!"

"You?" Piper murmured. "The two of you?"

"He saved my life." Chris said quietly.. "Twice. I trust him, now, mum."

"Mum, come on, he was just scared other demons were going to kill him for helping us -"

"He should of been more scared of what I would do." Prue replied. "I'm going to vanquish -"

"You don't have powers." Andy murmured. She hadn't seen him, sat by the window, and his words hit her hard. The last few hours had made her forget all about it...it was just like old times, bleeding to death in some dark cave...but she wasn't witch anymore, wasn't a Charmed One.

"We do." Parker said. "We can vanquish. He betrayed us, dad always said -"

"Ricker." Preston corrected.

"Huh?"

"Ricker. He's not our dad. He never was. Just Ricker."

"Oh...OK." Parker nodded. "Well, Ricker always said that a demon who betrayed you was dangerous to have around, and out had to get rid of them -"

"Well, I guess that's a good rule to live by." Phoebe said carefully. "But here, we kind of go by, no demon can be trusted and any that threaten you in anyway need to be vanquished..."

"Almost the same." Preston said. "Either way, we'll vanquish Louian. It's not safe to have him out there." He did, however, look almost sad. The last thing from his old life he thought he could depend on was gone."

"Come on, then." Parker said. "Will he still be at the cave?"

"You're not going alone." Lydia said suddenly.

"You think we'd just let the three of you go?" Sydney added.

"This is our demon. Chris nearly got killed last time -" Parker began.

"Halliwell's don't go at it alone." Paris said. "We'll all go."

"How about, we just go, and you kids stay here?" Paige said brightly. "Or did you forget about us who've been demon-fighting since before you were born?"

"This is their fight." Piper siad, shaking her head. "They have to do it themselves."

"What?" Phoebe spun round quickly. "Piper, they're still just a bunch of kids -"

"If this had taught us anything, it's that we aren't always going to be here to help. Summon him." Piper directed the last part to the kids. "You summon him hear, into a cage, and vanquish ihm properly - with a spell, together. We'll be right here if you need us, but this is your fight."

"Really?" Linnie asked, her eyebrows raised in a face just like her mothers.

"Yep. Be careful, 'cause I'll be real mad if you get killed." Piper smiled nervously. "Go on, then, get the cage ready. Someone needs to find the summoning and vanquishing spells."

"I'll do the spells." Linnie volenteered.

"I'll help." Perry said, and they both moved to the book. Lydia held out her hands and the box of crystals materlised in them. They worked quickly, setting up the trap in the way they had seen their parents do for years, except for Parker and Preston, who hovvered uncertainly.

"It's like a cage." Phoenix explained, seeing their confusion. "We summon him here, and he gets trapped inside. That means he can't shimmer out, or throw anything at us."

"Like the bubbles." Preston stated.

"Yep. We used the bubbles though, because we knew you were going to come to us, and we could just throw the potion at you." Prudence explained.

"Cage is done." Wyatt announced.

"Spells are ready." Linnie said, and then looked to her aunts and mum."

"Go on, then." Paige nodded.

"Only three of us need to do the summoning spell." Linnie said.

"Let them do it." Little Henry said, looking towards Preston, Parker and Perry.

"Uh, sure." Linnie held out the peice of paper. "Just read it out together."

Uncertainly, Parker took the paper, and looked down over it.

"You want me to count you in?" Lydia asked. "It takes some practice."

"Ah, sure." Parker nodded.

"OK. 1...2...3."


	10. Finally Free

Sorry it took so long guys, I couldn't upload documents for some amazing reason. Am gunna blame it on my computer cos it hates me. Btw, I've finished writing the story now and after this one there's two chapters left. Anyway...

Chapter 10 - Finally Free

Together, the three brothers read out the summoning spell, and watched as smoke slowly curled around inside the cage. A second later, the smoke turned into Louian.

"What the...Oh." The fear was evident, and he looked around wildly. "Prue. Hi. Good to see you..."

"Really?" Prue raised her eyebrows, her mock-surpirse strangly convincing. "I heard this little rumour, Louian."

"R-rumour?" Louian forced a smile, showing that he had three teeth missing.

"Yeah. Nothing improtant, just something to do with you being happy to leave me and my sisters to die...oh, and of course trying to kill my son and nephew." She said sweetly.

"Me? No - no way." He wasn't sure if she was joking or not. Wasn't sure if he was going to die or not, and trying to keep her sweet.

"No? I guess that means Preston and Chris are lying then...Well well well, Piper, I guess that means our little boys are in trouble, doesn't it?"

"Definietly. But Prue? I got the feeling they were telling the truth." Piper replied with mock thoughtfullness.

"Me too, Piper." Prue mused. He realised then. They were playing with him, and they were going to kill him.

"Prue, Prue you remember what it's like down there, don't you? You understand it better than all of these lot. You know how hard it is...Don't vanquish me...I wouldn't have killed him, I swear."

"Oh, well if you swear it." Prue replied. "I actually trusted you." She laughed at that, shook her head. "Demon-trust of course. I always had that knowledge you could betray me at any time. But...I didn't think you would. I guess that was the stupid human part Ricker used to talk about."

"He was right about that, wasn't he?" Louian snapped. "That stupid human part made you come back here, to this-"

"Think about it like this, darling." Prue said sweetly. "I am in a nice warm house, with nice warm clothes that I can change each and every day, getting as much food as I want when I want, and I'm surrounded by family, people I love and who love me. You are wearing the same tatty leather bits you got four years ago, living in a cave, having to kill or fight or trade for food and you are about to be vanquished. Now, who's the stupid one making stupid choices? He's all yours, kids."

"What? They're - No, Perston, come on mate -"

"Everyone ready?" Preston asked his family, ignoring Louian.

"Come on mate, after everything I did for you?" Louian asked desperatly. Preston just shook his head, almost close to laughter. "I helped you out, you owe me."

_I wont suffer, be broken_

_Get tired, or wasted,_

_Surrender to nothing_

_Or give up what I _

_Started and stopped it from end to begining_

_A new day is coming and I am finally free._

"I don't owe you anything." Preston replied.

"You can't vanquish me, you're evil, not good, you're not good -"

"We'll see." Preston replied. "Count." He said, and Lydia count again.

"1...2...3." This time, twelve voices rang out as one, and Louian's begging turned into screams as flames attacked him.

And then he was gone.

"Well done." Prue smiled, and Preston forced a smile like the others...the vanquish, watching the demon who had been in his life forever die like that had hit him hard. But, once the shock disperced, he realised it felt right. Saying those words, the spell.

"You did it." His mum was next to him, and he hadn't realised.

"Yeah...I want to bind my demon half." He'd said the words before he'd thought them, but he knew it was the right thing to do."

"Your demon half?" Prue asked, surpirsed and secretly pleased. "Are you sure?"

"Yes...I'm not a demon anymore. Andy says the invisability is probably a witch-power, and I'll grow into more of them."

"You'll probably grow into more of them." Andy said. "I don't know, it's not definite -"

"The potion can be reversed, right?" Preston asked, nad Piper nodded. "Then, if after a few months I don't have any more powers, I'll reverse it."

"Ok. If you're sure..."

"I am." Preston nodded.

----

Almost an hour later, Preston was stood in the kitchen, a cup of blood-red liquid in his hand.

"OK...it's not too late to change your mind." Prue said uneasily. She didn't want him to feel forced to stick to this desion, to resent her. But he just smiled at her and tipped the cup to his mouth.

_I would have kept you forever_

_But we had to sever_

_It ended for both of us faster than a..._

_Kill off this thinking_

_It's starting to sink in_

_I'm losing control now_

_And without you I can finally see._

"All gone." He smiled.

"OK. OK." Prue smiled. "Well done. I'm proud of you. How did you feel about...the vanquish?"

"It felt right." Preston said. "Like that's what I should be doing."

"Good. That's good. Listen, if you ever want to talk about anything, just remember, I'll listen. Or if not me, someone else will -"

"There's enough of them to choose from." Preston nodded. "Ricker always told me I was a demon, I was evil, I was supposed to kill. I guess...it was just hard to realise he was wrong."

"Why don't you call him dad anymore?" Parker asked. "Why did it upset you so much when I did?"

"He caused it all." Preston said quietly. "Everything we went through, it's his fault, and...I guess it was like he'd abandoned us in the end. Put us in this impossible situation and abandoned us. He once told me that I had to learn to kill on my own, live on my own, but he would always help me out if I needed it. And...well, he lied a lot."

_Your promises, they look like lies._

_Your honesty, like a back that has a knife._

"I should have been more help." Prue said guiltily. I ended up so wrapped up in myself, I didn't even try to understand you."

"Mum, I barely understand me. You had no chance." He flashed her a smile, a real genuine one, not a smirk, but a real smile. And she hugged him.

He froze at first. He'd been hugged a total of three times, all post-evil. But this time, he hugged her back.

_I promise you_

_I promise you_

_I am finally free._

-----

The italics is a song, minus the chorus, that's called _Attack_, and it's by 30 Seconds To Mars.


	11. And They Lived Happily Ever After?

Not many reviews lately guys...should I take it personally...

Chapter 11 - And They Lived Happily Ever After?

"And they lived happily ever after." Prue finished, and closed the book.

"Thank you." Phoenix smiled at her aunt, then took the battered copy of Cinderella and wandered away.

"Happily ever after?" Preston repeated, his eyebrows raised. "I don't even have to say it, do I?"

"The little ones enjoy it." Prue wanred.

"They believe in happily ever after?"

"Don't you?" Prue challenged.

"Should I?" Preston replied lightly.

"I don't know." Prue admitted. "I...I guess we'll just have to wait and see, wont we?"

"Looks like it." Preston nodded.

"How are you doing without your powers?" Prue asked carefully.

"No nightmares." The words were out of his mouth before he had decide to say them, but when Prue smiled he smiled back.

"You think that's because of your powers?" Prue asked curiously.

"No. It's because of me." Preston shrugged.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again." Paige interrupted, walking into the room. "You don't talk like a thirteen year old kid."

"No? Why?"

"'Cause thirteen year olds talk dumb. You talk like a very wise person."

"We are not dumb." Chris had been walking past the doorway, and stopped to give his aunt an evil look.

"Prove it."

"I do." Chris turned to Preston. "You wanna play some computer games?" He asked.

"Uh...I don't know how." Preston replied, a slight flush creeping up the back of his neck.

"I'll show you. It's easy to get the hang of."

"Cause kids are dumb." Paige murmured.

"Yeah? Well, what does that make you, aunt Paige, 'cause you can't even get past level one." Chris grinned wickedly as his aunt returned the look he had given her just seconds before. "Come on, Preston, I'll make you just as dumb as all the other thirteen year olds."

Prue smiled as the two boys left the room.

"Told you he'd fit in eventually." Paige said.

"The younger ones are still a bit weary, though." Prue said wistfully.

"Yeah...somethings are hard to let go of, especially when your a kid. We understand he's young, made a few mistakes 'cause he was confused. The kids, they just remember him tossing a fireball towards them, their family, and the barriers come up. But they're getting there."

"They set a lot by family." Prue commented.

"It's something we made sure they would. They all understand how important family is...even one as messy as ours."

"You're all so close. It's nice...I hope one day, we'll fit into that."

"You laready do." Paige said, shaking her head. "You just don't realise it."

"Is that some confusing whitelighter talk?" Prue said.

"Yeah." Paige nodded. "We're full of confusing phrases. I swear they inject it into you up there."

"Well, thanks." It was slightly awkward - only slightly - but both smiled.

----

"Not having your powers must make it easier, though." Chris said, as he fiddled the control to make his character aviod being hit. "Aunt Phoebe used to say that before Cole vanquished his demon half, he had this...struggle inside him. Good and evil, fighting."

"Yeah, I guess." Preston sighed as his own character died. "I lose."

"Again." Chris grinned. "'Nother game?"

"No...Bad for the ego, getting beat at a fighting game, when I've been doing it my whole life."

"Not with a control pad you haven't." Chris replied.

"Go on...one more..."

----

"Andy." She didn't even have to turn around to know it had been him who'd orbed in behind her. Paige smiled at him, then guestured to the door.

"I'll leave you -"

"No, get Piper and Phoebe. I've got a message from the Elders -"

"That doesn't sound good." Prue frowned, turning to face him. But he smiled.

"It is."

"Back in a sec." Paige turned and left the room.

"What? What's the message?"

"I'm supposed to tell you all."

"Why didn't they tell Paige it, then?"

"Because...I happened to be up there at the right time, I guess." Andy shrugged, as Prue's sisters entered the room.

"Well?" Piper said. Andy allowed himself a second to marvel the way Piper had changed since he died, then nodded.

"They did it." He said simply, trying not to smile at the blank looks. He knew Prue would understand...Saw in her eyes she knew what he meant.

"Did what?" Phoebe asked blankly. Prue didn't speak, so he continued.

"They have a way to bring her power back."

"Why?" Prue asked. "Why bother? I'm not a Charmed One, there's no need for it."

"Power?" Piper repeated. "You said power. Single."

"They've only got the telekinesis." He said. "Prue, you need to be able to protect yourself. Escpecially as you've moved out now."

"Why? Demon's aren't going to come after mortals, are they. Why bother coming after an ex-Charmed One?"

"Why bother going after a current Charmed One. Glory. It's all about glory down there. You of all people should know that." Andy replied.

_"Why kill him? He's innocent." Prue asked._

_"Because we can." Ricker said, as patiently as he could. "It's the glory, Prue. The more kills you make the more respect you get. The more respect you have the less likely other demons are to mess with you."_

_"Glory? It...it just seems wrong..."_

_"Now that's the human talking. And you are not human any more."_

_"I know. I'm a demon." Prue nodded._

_"And demon's kill. Think of the glory, Prue. The glory you never got. Kill."_

She shuddered as the memory faded. "I know." She whispered.

"Do you want the power? They wont force it on you, but I for one would feel safer if you did."

"That doesn't mean anything to me." She snapped suddenly, surprising herself. "You never cared what would make me feel safer, did you?"

"Wh...?" He looked confused, and so was she, not understanding what she meant until the flashback hit her.

_"A cop? Andy...Cops get hurt. Killed."_

_"You watch too much T.V." He replied. "It's not as bad as all those dramas make out."_

_"And the news lies too?" She asked. "Policing isn't safe. Think about doing something else."_

_"This is what I want to do." He replied, annoyed. "Just support me."_

_"And cry at your funeral." She snapped._

_"I'm not going to change my mind. Live with it." He snapped._

As they always had done, the flashback left her shaky and confused. But she fought to clear her head, muttered that she'd take the power, to protect her boys, and managed to focus on Andy.

"When do I get it?"

"I'll take you now." He said, looking at her. "Come on..."


	12. One Day At A Time

Chapter 12 - One Day At A Time

Orbing back into the manor, almost twenty minutes later, Prue felt...different. She wasn't sure how, exactly. Wasn't sure if she felt good or bad. But different.

"Well?" Preston asked, and Prue forced a smile.

"I've got it." She nodded.

"Try it." Andy murmured. Nodding, she looked around, then flicked her wrist at a photo. It flew across the room and hit the wall.

"I did it." She whispered.

"You broke it." Phoebe said, looking down at the picture of their dad and her daughter. "Which reminds me...dad's coming here. Tomorrow."

"What?" Prue was the only one who seemed surprised, which meant that everyone else knew. Great. "I...I don't know if I'm ready to see him."

"There's only one way to find out." Phoebe shrugged.

"Phoebe, all I can remember of that man is him walking away. I know, I know we made up, but I don't remember it. And...well, to me, he's still the guy who wasn't there most of my life."

"If you meet him, maybe you'll remember." Phoebe said.

"We better hope so. 'Cause right now, all I can remember is how good it was to send him flying across the room." She turned and left the room. After a few seconds, Andy followed her. Phoebe made to do the same, but Coop stopped her.

"Leave it. They need to talk anyway."

"What's going on between them two?" Paige asked.

"Can't tell you." Coop replied. "Sorry."

"What's the point of having a cupid as a brother in law if you can't hear about other people's love lives?" Paige sighed.

"My charm, smarts, and good lucks." Coop replied.

"Keep guessing." Paige replied.

----

"Prue wait." Andy said. She carried on walking, and only stopped when she reached her bedroom.

"I don't want to see him." She sighed.

"I know."

"They don't understand that. No one understands it."

"I do."

"How can you? How can you understand it? Your dad was there for you your whole life, always loving you, always proud."

"I held you so many times as you cried about him."

"Please, Andy, I got over him when I was twelve."

"Thirteen." He corrected. "And you were only over him when you were sober."

"Yeah, well. They keep telling me I forgave him, we were past it...but I can't imagine ever forgiving him."

"You forget...but never forgive." He murmured. "You told me that years ago."

"Exactly. You think they forgave him after I "died" and are lying?"

"No, I don't." He laughed. "I think you put it behind you. They said it happened only a little while before you got taken...so you were probably just building up a relationship with him..."

"That doesn't mean I want to do it now. Even Paige is closer to him than me. Why bother?"

"Because you need to meet him, at least. You need answers, Prue, you know that. And if you can work things out, I think he'd be good for the boys. They don't have a dad, a granddad would be good."

"They have three perfectly good uncles."

"Yeah, and they have me. But they could have him too."

She sighed. "I'll meet him. I'm not saying I'll be nice about it, but I'll meet him."

"Just take one day at a time."

-----

Preston was flicking through the book Henry had gave him. Henry. A seven year old. Preston _could_ read, just not as well as most his age. However, he was determined to get up to standard. Even if that meant reading the books a seven year old proclaimed as "awesome".

It was easy though, and he took some joy from that. He flipped the page again and cried out when the page sliced through his skin. Looking down, he saw a small drop of blood sat on his finger. A paper cut.

He'd never bleed before. He'd always thought there was something beautiful about blood, and strangely it meant more to him than just kill.

It symbolised pain and humanity. And now, he had that symbol. The small droplet of blood symbolised everything...his old life, murder, causing blood to spill, and his new life, as human, being able to shed it himself.

And, smiling at it, for once he felt hope. Sure, the cut hurt like hell, and that surprised him, but he was more human than ever.

And he could live with that.

* * *

The End. Thanks to everyone who took the time to review, and anyone who'll give this story one last one... 


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